The present invention relates generally to electrical connectors and in particular to electrical connectors that are mounted to a printed circuit board (PCB) within an electronic device. A wide variety of electronic devices are available for consumers today. Many of these devices have connectors that that facilitate communication with and/or charging of a corresponding device. These connectors often interface with other connectors through cables that are used to connect devices to one another. Sometimes, connectors are used without a cable to directly connect the device to another device, such as a charging station or a sound system.
As an example, receptacle connectors are sometimes positioned on one or more of the surfaces of an electronic device and are mounted to a printed circuit board within the device. As smart-phones, media players, charging stations and other electronic devices become more compact, the electronic connectors may consume a considerable portion of the outer surfaces of the device, noticeably affecting the device's aesthetics. To achieve an aesthetically pleasing design it may be desirable to have the electronic connector approximately match the outer surfaces of the device.
Additional demands on electronic connectors employed in electronic devices may be to discharge electrostatic charges in the plug, support faster data transfer speeds and to shield electromagnetic noise from entering and leaving the device.
Thus, new connectors may require new features and/or changes to commonly used connectors to be able to meet aesthetic requirements, discharge electrostatic charges, increase data transfer speed and shield electromagnetic noise.